


Frightening Floriography

by AlmondAtrocity



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Floriography, Halloween, Language of Flowers, Minor Body Horror, Neopronouns, Nonbinary Blind Specter, Nonbinary Character, Other, The Root Pack - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 20:25:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15826308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmondAtrocity/pseuds/AlmondAtrocity
Summary: Cagney had really gone and done it now. He couldn't lose this bet. That would mean he'd lose next year's flower show.Yet how could he ask a question without words?Well. There was one way. But it was a shot in the dark.





	Frightening Floriography

**Author's Note:**

> "it's august" you say? too bad, i've astral projected into October.

“HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN!”

The loud shrill sound his ghostly boo made while screaming in excitement made Cagney spit out the punch he had just sipped. Gosh, Spec was such a dork.

Cagney looked over at the scene from his vantage point a little ways from the center of Isle Two.

The Halloween party was off to a swell and jiving start in Inkwell, and Cagney, for once, couldn't be happier. Specter and the rest of the Express crew had really gone all out this year. The bats were beautifully batty, the spiders were super spooky, and the food was frighteningly fresh for once. Instead of being rotten and bare like last year’s harvest, the Root Pack, Cagney, Hilda, Goopy, and even the good little cup boys had turned the first island into a harvest paradise using all their wits combined, just to make sure nobody was disappointed and missing out. Why, after the party, there would probably now be too much food from all their efforts! But that, of course, wasn’t bad either, as that meant there would be more produce to ship overseas and most likely boost the economy of the Isles up a high bit!

Cagney chuckled as he was brought out of his thinking and back into the moment by Specter, who looked to be having the time of daes life -- er… death? Limbo? Yeah, of daes limbo -- flying around and tossing out candy out of a giant bag in the square where the band was playing. Dae looked like the Santa Claus of Halloween. Hm, that was a good nickname, Cagney thought. He’d have to try that out sometime tonight. Hm, but when?

Maybe during their Midnight Kiss. It was a tradition between the two by now, but could he _dare_ to ruin it by getting Specter all pouty?

Heh, yeah, he totally could and totally would. For now though, Cagney just focused in on the party crowd.

Crowds were okay to him but he could only take so much in so many little increments of time. He preferred life with the few people he held closest to him, a nice bed of dirt, and pleasant spring days perfect for planting. But parties every now and then didn’t hurt. Specter had been the one to get him more into it after around two months of dating some time ago. Even if he still wasn’t completely out of his shell, he could notice the nice things about being in crowded places during festivities… if from a distance.

Everyone was dressed up in such creative costumes. Some were obvious as to who was who without needing to even see their face: A face in the moon, a body with the head in its arms; some, however, were more difficult, like a mouse and rabbit pair thrown together with what they had around home, a vampire bat, and even a cowboy. Meanwhile, Cagney hadn’t dressed up in a costume at all. As much as he was happy to indulge in Specter’s interests, he did have his limits. After all, there weren't many costumes that would fit him, being a flower and all. He was merely dressed up in a bow tie. That was usually as fancy as he got for date nights or special occasions with Specter.

It was always a let down to Specter, Cagney could always see it on daes face, but he was trying his best. He was a plant after all. What did Spec ex- _spec_ -t him to do? Go underground for the season and pop back up the next time ready for a date with a tuxedo and monocle? Yeah, no, even if he could do that, he didn’t fancy tuxedos much.

Maybe he should though… just once… even if meant he might-

He jumped as he suddenly felt someone tap on his shoulder and out of his thinking again. Specter wasn’t done with the candy throwing by a long shot, so who could…

“What are you doing in the moonlight mopin’, ya’ Joe Brooks?”

Cagney huffed, crossing his arms playfully and turning away from the Moonlight Maiden. “A Joe Brooks huh? I’d like to think I’m more of a Reuben.”

“Aw c’mon Cags,” Hilda leaned back from where she floated, a wide grin present on her face, “Give yerself some credit for such a stunning look that only you could pull off. Anyways… why ‘aintcha dancin’ with yer’ Oliver Twist candy thrower? What, did you two have a spout at each other? Or are ya’ just playing hard to get on daes limboday celebration.”

Cagney blushed noticeably at that. “C’mon Hilda, do I _look_ like I can dance? I’m nothin’ but soggy vines on the dance floor when I’m with daem.”

“Tsk, tsk.” Hilda shook her head and wagged her finger at him. “That’s where you’re wrong, ya’ fool. I taught you myself and I _know_ you can. Heck, dae doesn’t even have legs and yet you think you can’t twirl daem around just a little?”

“Hilda, I get that, but you haven’t seen me trying to dance near daem.” Cagney rolled his eyes away from her patronizing tone. Dancing was easy with friends, but with Specter? His viney legs just twisted right up and couldn’t do much more than land him on his face.

Hilda cackled, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “That’s what they all says, ya’ ninny! C’mon, have some confidence in yerself, ya’ geranium red and white columbine!”

From the core of his being, Cagney felt a fire fueled by the burning of millions of suns in trillions of universes channeled into his next words. How... _how dare she_!

“ _What did you just call me?_ ”

Hilda was a bit surprised at how fierce his reaction was, but nonetheless, continued with her plan to get his confidence up for her scheming hijinks she had planned. “You heard me. It’s as clear as the blue skies I fly high upon: you’re scared to dance even though you know how. That makes you a geranium red _and_ white columbine.”

Cagney leered into her face. How dare she say that to his face in his own language! “Wanna bet? No gaming around either. You want a fresh and true bet with me on this?”

Oh, _now_ the stakes had been raised.

“How much? _I’ll_ decide the terms this time ‘round.” She sat down on the tree stump she had been floating above, her body transforming into a forn better suited for activities she didn’t participate much in unless serious like sitting. She crossed one leg over the other, her cheeky smile just as annoying to Cagney sitting as it was flying.

How petty, Cagney thought.

Cagney pointed at her with his ~~big meaty claws~~ large planty hands. “Alright Hilda. Here’s how it’s gonna go. If you win, you get to spend the rest of the week flyin’ and messin’ up the weather for my garden any time you want for your science shenanigans. But…” He pointed to himself not-so-humbly, grinning with amusement. “If _I_ win, you have to stop flying for an entire week and take care of my Deadly Daisies _without_ usin’ _any part_ of your wind magic.”

She blinked. “...Why?”

“I love seeing you suffer.”

She thought on it for only a second or two, before shrugging and holding her hand out to shake in a deal. “Okay, fair enough ya’ ragged rosey posey.”

Cagney shook her hand, his face scrunching up a bit at the mention of that nickname. “Alright then, cheese face, what’s the bet?”

She stood up boldly, pointing to the center of the square. “You gots to get yer doll over there to dance with you before midnight _without asking daem to in any words_.”

**Oh sweet honey of hydrangeas.**

He should have waited to shake hand.

“I hate you so much.”

“Love ya’ too ya’ chrysanthemum.” She hurriedly morphed back into her flying form, scurrying off to the sky while laughing. “And good luck! You’ll need it.”

Cagney was left there in the aftermath of shock, wondering just how in the name of the devil was he going to convince his significant other to dance with him and his two left feet without saying a single word?

Gosh, he wished there was a way to cheat around it. But _noooo_ , the Inkwell islands just _had_ to be magical and just _had_ to make all bets literal and crazy.

He sighed, about the only he _could_ do now that his voice would be gone for the evening.

He straightened himself up a little, determined to win, even if he was such a clueless and bumbling buffoon, and made his way over into the square.

This was going to be more tricky than treaty.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Chapter 2 will be out at the end of September, and Chapter 3 will be a few days before Halloween! oh, and i write Specter as NB. Specter uses the neopronouns dae/daem/daemself when i'm writing him. 
> 
> also "germanium red and white columbine" if ur wondering? she basically called him the biggest dumbass on the isles in the rudest way possible.
> 
> double also: big meaty claws is there on purpose.


End file.
